Research in Lower Saxony: Minister Lies visiting IPH

IPH | What will the production of the future look like? Researchers of the Institut für Integrierte Produktion Hannover (IPH) are always looking for the latest trends – without losing track of their key issue, which is digitalization. Minister Olaf Lies could see this for himself during his visit.

Since 1988, IPH has been doing research on Industry 4.0 - even though labelled differently at that time. "IPH was founded under the name CIM factory which stands for Computer Integrated Manufacturing", explains Managing Director Georg Ullmann. "Today, we call it Industry 4.0."

When visiting IPH, Olaf Lies, Minister for Economics, Labour and Transport in Lower Saxony, could take a look at the production technology of tomorrow. IPH is developing intelligent conveying systems, material-saving forging methods and novel technologies for human/machine communication systems. Moreover, the researchers are providing industry with efficient factory planning solutions.

According to Lies, all of this is strengthening Lower Saxony's industrial landscape and small enterprises in particular: "Large companies develop their technologies themselves. But SMEs are reliant on using innovative technologies which they do not have developed on their own." This is exactly what IPH is working on.